Kenya: Back in the Fold

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Dun Okinyo

29 June 2011

International Cricket Council (ICC) have bowed down to pressure from Kenya and other Associate nations and agreed to include them in the 2015 World Cup. The World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand will now feature 14 teams including four Associate nations.

The development is a shift from the earlier proposal to drop four Associate nations and have a 10 team World Cup in 2015. The move is a big relief to countries like Kenya, who have featured in the past five World Cups.

Four associate teams will line up alongside ten full members in Australia and New Zealand, just like it was during the 2011 World Cup in Asia.

The decision to reinstate the associates, which was taken on the third day of the ICC’s annual conference in Hong Kong, is a reversal of the ICC’s heavily criticised move to restrict the 2015 tournament to the full members. Cricket Kenya (CK) chairman Samir Inamdar and his chief executive Tom Sears are attending the meeting Hong Kong.

The Cricket Chief Executive Committee (CEC) conference fell short of putting a seal on the number of teams for the tournament but the decision raised hopes of the likes of Kenya, Netherlands, Ireland, Canada and Ireland to feature in the 2015 event.

A widespread backlash by the smaller cricket nations for being initially disallowed entrance to the 2015 World Cup nations, prompted ICC President Sharad Pawar to coax the CEC into reviewing its stand and reaching a compromise. It came up for discussion on Monday at a conference which included 35 Associates and five Affiliates. Pawar later said, “Your voice has been heard and listened to. In life you have to sometimes arrive at consensus and compromise.”

On Monday, the CEC had recommended to the executive board the need for a qualifying tournament for the 2015 World Cup but didn’t give the Associates hope. Besides they did not specify the number of slots open to Associates nor did they recommend a change in the competition’s format.

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